Species

Nestegis apetala

Etymology

apetala: Without petals

Current Conservation Status

2018 - At Risk - Relict

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

NESAPE

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Distribution

Indigenous. Norfolk Island and New Zealand (North Island including northern offshore islands from the Three Kings Islands south to Hauturu (Clark Island), near Whangamata. Nestegis apetala is especially common on the Poor Knights and Motukino (Fanal Island) - on the latter of which it forms a distinct, pure forest type.

Similar Taxa

Privet (Ligustrum lucidum) is commonly confused with Nestegis apetala from which it differs by its much larger paniculate inflorescences, white flowers and much smaller (3-6 mm long) fruits. Nestegis apetala could be confused with white maire (Nestegis lanceolata) which very occasionally grows with N. apetala in northern coastal forest. White maire differs by its much narrower (up to 30 mm wide) narrow- to ovate-lanceolate to narrow-elliptic leaves. whose midrib is adaxially deeply impressed. Canary Island olive (Picconia excelsa, Oleaceae) when vegetative or fruiting has a strong similarity to Nestegis apetala such that it is occasionally (and one assumes "accidentally") sold as this species. This tree is uncommon in New Zealand being most often seen in parks, street plantings, school grounds and plant collections in northern New Zealand. When flowering it is easily recognised as it has flowers with large prominent white or pink-white petals.

Flowering

October-January

Flower Colours

Green,Yellow

Fruiting

January-April

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed. An attractive though frost-sensitive small tree that makes an excellent specimen tree for a large garden or street avenue. Once established Nestegis apetala is extremely tolerant of drought, strong winds and salt burn. It does well in large tubs and in raised gardens. Plants do best when planted in semi-shade in a position where they can grow into the light but are remarkably tolerant of being planted into full sun. Aside from its cold sensitivity this is an ideal tree for coastal situations and it deserves to be grown more widely than it is